Like I said, make it a full time job trying to find the car that you want. You might get lucky and find one reasonable. I flew into Vegas a few days before BJ for a client who was a very smart buyer. He flew in and looked at the car and then hired me to go over the car with a fine tooth comb. He bought the car for $50K and it's basically a 60,000 mile Z28 with one repaint, all original mint interior and all of the hard to find engine components are there. Cars are still out there for a reasonable price, especially now.

I also tell people buy the car because you love it and want one. If you worry about what it will be worth in five years, you're taking the wrong approach. We never knew these cars would be worth anything when I bought my new Chevelle out of high school, and then my '69 Z28 in March 1972 for $1400.00.

I also have another passion in life in the world of musical instruments. When I was a kid, I bought a used late '50's early '60's Fender Stratocaster guitar. $175.00 in 1966. I'll never forget it. Eventually I sold it to buy headers and junk for my Chevelle. I always regretted that. Well, now I'm looking to replace that guitar and it's one of the last items on my bucket list in life. And it has to be mint and original. If you plug in Fender Stratocaster guitars on Ebay, 1950's models, the prices make Z28's look like you're buying a loaf of bread! Nice ones back to 1954, $100K, but many who sell are on a fishing expedition, just like the car sellers. I did find one that I'm going to look at in upstate NY for somewhere in the high $20K range. Do I know where I'll be invested in that guitar in five years. No, but if you look long and hard enough for what you want, I believe that you'll find it. Yeah, $27K is a lot of money for an old used Fender guitar but it's a lot better than what most are asking for on Ebay, $50K and up. In my mind, I can justify it at that price.

Then I have to get the guitar inspected and appraised. George Gruhn of Gruhn Guitars in Nashville is the guy who does guitar inspections, like I do for Camaros. Well, you can't even get him on the phone. Talk about someone who is hard to reach........But I will have a contract written on this guitar if I buy it, and if something is not original and not was it was represented to be, I will get a full refund. Then I have to figure out how to get a very old expensive original guitar down to Nashville in this cold climate to be certified. Another hobby but the same issues that we deal with in the Camaro world. It's much more complicated with rare musical instruments though.

Jerry

Wow, another guitar guy. I knew you played drums. Do you play, or just collect guitars? My passions are the same, "cars and guitars". Hard to decide how to spend my limited time. Been to Gruhns. I was like a kid in a candy store without money; those instruments are way out of my league.

Really a drummer professionally but I have always played guitar too. Not near a proficient on guitar, but good at that old Ventures and Fireballs stuff. I ain't no Doyle Dykes or Chet Atkins though.........LOL. I have a bunch of old Fender amps and guitars in the music room.

I drove eight hours to see D. Dykes perform about two years ago. He is considered by many one of the greatest guitar players of all time now. Tommy Emmanual is also up the food chain. Doyle played was asked to play at the Grand Ol' Opry when C. Atkins passed away to do a tribute show for him. He's also the rep for Taylor guitars.

I know that many rock & roll fans consider the BIG name guitarists the best, names like E. Clapton, J. Hendricks, Jeff Beck, M. Knoffler, etc. But in the world of the players who can finger pick and sound like three guitar players at the same time, not even in the same zip code. Pull up D. Dykes on you tube and decide for yourself. Dykes and Emmanual actually have a performance where they are playing two songs at the same time.........something that C. Atkins did first.

Oh, the guitar I'm looking at is only 12 serial numbers off the one that B. Holly used up until he was killed. Holly's was #28228, the one I'm lookin into buying is #28240. It's almost a number's matching unit to Hollys! LOL

Smokey Yunick had an expression: "The sun don't shine on the same dogs' ass all the time."

First it was Model Ts, then Model As, baby 'birds, 64-66 Mustangs, 55-57 Chevys. Every "collectible" car rises, peaks, descends in value. Camaros and all Muscle Cars will be no different. Third Gen Camaros are turning up at auctions.

As JM said buy one because you always wanted it, not as an investment. The #1 factor to keep in mind when buying is you will also want to get off it some day. Quality will always sell.

Really a drummer professionally but I have always played guitar too. Not near a proficient on guitar, but good at that old Ventures and Fireballs stuff. I ain't no Doyle Dykes or Chet Atkins though.........LOL. I have a bunch of old Fender amps and guitars in the music room.

I drove eight hours to see D. Dykes perform about two years ago. He is considered by many one of the greatest guitar players of all time now. Tommy Emmanual is also up the food chain. Doyle played was asked to play at the Grand Ol' Opry when C. Atkins passed away to do a tribute show for him. He's also the rep for Taylor guitars.

I know that many rock & roll fans consider the BIG name guitarists the best, names like E. Clapton, J. Hendricks, Jeff Beck, M. Knoffler, etc. But in the world of the players who can finger pick and sound like three guitar players at the same time, not even in the same zip code. Pull up D. Dykes on you tube and decide for yourself. Dykes and Emmanual actually have a performance where they are playing two songs at the same time.........something that C. Atkins did first.

Oh, the guitar I'm looking at is only 12 serial numbers off the one that B. Holly used up until he was killed. Holly's was #28228, the one I'm lookin into buying is #28240. It's almost a number's matching unit to Hollys! LOL

Jerry

Don't Know Doyle, but am certainly familiar with Mr. Atkins. From what I understand, he was influenced by one Merle Travis. I have learned (and am still learning) some of that style from Arlen Roth, both on his tapes and at Gibson.com. It sounds awesome when you can pull it off. It astounds me how much there is to learn, and how there is always something new to learn in music. Hope you get your Strat. As one of my friends likes to say: "it's what you work for."

Jerry- Good luck finding the Stratocaster you want, I hope it works out. I almost bought one in '72, when I first started playing guitar, but bought a new Gibson SG instead. I had no idea vintage guitars were bringing that much! Larry